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Articles from July 20, 2002

2-Year-Old Drainage Problem May Get Action

Byline: R. Michael Anderson, County Line staff writer After watching his daughter's front yard disappear under water every time it rained hard in the Meadows subdivision, between Moody Avenue and Blanding Boulevard, Bob Elich decided to seek help...

Byline: Maggie FitzRoy, Shorelines staff writer Dennis Lane loves to run. He runs 16 miles a week, enters many races -- and wins quite a few in his age group. He loves winning, too. He's 76 years old. "I think it keeps him healthy and happy,"...

Byline: Mark Basch, Times-Union business writer Jacksonville's inflation rate picked up a bit in June, but the rate still remained well below the national inflation rate during the first half this year, according to the University of North Florida's...

Byline: Alison Trinidad, Nassau Neighbors staff writer Last spring, Yulee resident Bob Hinton received an e-mail from Special Olympics Florida asking for his help at the state summer games in Kissimmee. Hinton said he wasn't sure about that;...

Byline: Beth Reese Cravey, County Line staff writer Clay County Sheriff's Deputy Doug Elkins was talking to elementary school children about lures and bait. But he wasn't teaching them to catch fish. The kinds of lures and bait he was describing...

Byline: Caren Burmeister, Shorelines staff writer Mayport mother Suzanne Willmeth has learned firsthand that students need their parents help to grasp the rigorous academics at school each year. She participated in Passport, a program offered...

BACK TO SCHOOL PARTY The Town Center Merchant's Association will host a "Back to School Party" on July 27 to benefit the March of Dimes charity organization. The party will be from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the end of Atlantic Boulevard in Town Center....

Byline: Maggie FitzRoy, Shorelines staff writer About 400 kids and 100 volunteers packed the sanctuary of the Ponte Vedra Presbyterian Church every morning last week, singing, dancing and praying in one of the Beaches' most popular vacation Bible...

Byline: Brandy Hilboldt Allport, Times-Union home and garden editor William Morgan: Selected and Current Works -- Text by Robert McCarter -- Foreword by Eduard F. Sekler You might not know Jacksonville architect William Morgan. However, you've...

Byline: Toi Jefferson, County Line staff writer Schedules for Clay County school bus routes for the upcoming school year will be available starting Thursday, district spokeswoman Darlene Mahla said. The schedules will be at individual schools...

Byline: Gene Frenette, Times-Union sports writer No doubt the football legacy of Jacksonville's LeRoy Butler, who is retiring after 12 pro seasons, will highlight his contributions in reviving the Green Bay Packers, the originator of the Lambeau...

Children's Health Their Concern Organization Tries to Form Partnerships

Byline: Marion Gooding, Times-Union staff writer The class of 3- to 4-year-olds sat quietly Monday, legs crossed, against the wall of the divided main classroom of Children's Fantasy World Preschool. With the arrival of distinguished visitors,...

Byline: Beth Reese Cravey, County Line staff writer A Green Cove Springs church's plans to open a private school for special-needs students this fall has uncovered a flaw in the zoning and land use regulations for the city's central business district....

Byline: Lisa Woods, Times-Union staff writer Book lovers would huddle in hidden reading coves while savoring the words of their favorite author. Small children could breathe in the scent of a pond cypress while running through a hedge maze. The...

City Hall Plans Vie with Tree for Space Choices Are Trim or Remove Tree

Byline: Beth Reese Cravey, County Line staff writer The latest lively City Council debate over Green Cove Springs' new City Hall centered not on offices, roof materials, parking spaces or cost. The focus was on a tree. A cedar tree of undetermined...

QUOTE, UNQUOTE "Teachers should not be afraid in the classroom and students who violate the basic tenets of respect for teachers will be severely punished." -- Ralph Nobles, president of the Georgia Association of Educators. See story, this page....

Byline: Tiffany Lankes, Times-Union business writer Jaguars fans this year will miss out on the traditional grand celebration that accompanies the annual distribution of season tickets at Alltel Stadium. Season ticket buyers can celebrate at...

County Decides Not to Regulate Nassau: Oversight of Private Utilities Given Up

Byline: Amelia A. Hart, Nassau Neighbors staff writer Less than a year after taking over regulation of private water and sewer systems in Nassau County, county commissioners have put the Florida Public Service Commission back in charge. Commissioners...

County Delays Nocatee Hearing Waivers Waiting on State Opinion of Plan

Byline: Lisa Woods, Shorelines staff writer The months-long wait to determine if the Nocatee project will be constructed west of Ponte Vedra Beach was extended Thursday as the St. Johns County Planning and Zoning Agency put off hearing developers'...

Byline: Teresa Stepzinski, Times-Union staff writer ST. MARYS -- A truck driver was killed and his co-worker injured early yesterday when they were struck by a sport utility vehicle that veered into the emergency lane on Interstate 95 as the truckers...

Byline: Shawna Sundin, Times-Union staff writer ST. AUGUSTINE -- The owner of a day-care center where two children wandered away and almost were struck by cars this year has been charged with criminal child neglect. Assistant State Attorney Bryan...

Byline: Brent Beaird, Times-Union correspondent The first Dez White football camp, involving nearly 140 participants, was held at the Orange Park Athletic Association on July 13. The camp received positive reviews from White, a receiver with...

Byline: Christopher F. Aguilar, Times-Union staff writer Jacksonville has been selected as one of six U.S. port cities that will be home to an elite Coast Guard Maritime Safety and Security Team. The team will be composed of 70 active-duty guardsmen...

Byline: Dan Scanlan, Times-Union staff writer I used to have a trick I used to park in my icy office parking lot in New Hampshire in the early 1980s. When I had the early morning shift and my selection of spots, I had a secret way to swing the...

Byline: Dan Scanlan, Times-Union staff writer A 39-year-old Southside man was arrested Monday on a charge of arson after police said he was stopped while trying to set fire to an occupied building at Bushor's Tree Surgeons at 5525 St. Augustine...

Byline: Dan Scanlan, Times-Union staff writer The former operator of Mandarin's Southlake Nursing and Rehabilitation Center has won a $20 million court judgment after a local jury found the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration illegally...

Byline: R. Michael Anderson, County Line staff writer While controversy swirled around the parade in this year's Clay County Chamber of Commerce American Pie Fourth of July Celebration in Orange Park, judging the event was done quietly by a panel...

Golfing for Dollars Tee Time Helps Fund Athletics at St. Johns Schools

Byline: Lisa Woods and Maggie FitzRoy, Times-Union staff writers When Ryan Kuiper teed off at hole No. 1 at the Marsh Creek Country Club on Monday, he wasn't just playing golf for fun -- he also was helping pay for his football uniform. The Nease...

Byline: Sandy Strickland, Times-Union staff writer It's billed as "an old-fashioned Sunday afternoon picnic," and it's open to the community. Good Shepherd United Methodist Church is sponsoring the event from 5 to 8 p.m. tomorrow at the Lake...

Group Wants Library 'Trail' for Children New Ponte Vedra Location Has Space

Byline: Lisa Woods, Shorelines staff writer Book lovers would huddle in hidden reading coves while savoring the words of their favorite author. Small children could breathe in the scent of a pond cypress while running through a hedge maze. The...

Byline: John Carter, Times-Union staff writer Arlington community representatives are hoping they're more up to snuff on the state's recently enacted Growth Management Act after attending a workshop Monday. "We felt it was important to chart...

Byline: Caren Burmeister, Shorelines staff writer A group of car enthusiasts who like to show off their customized autos are fighting for the right to hang out in an oceanfront parking lot in Jacksonville Beach. The group's most vocal members...

Byline: Garry Smits, Times-Union sports writer Scoreboard watchers in the first round of the Jacksonville Area Golf Association Hillyer Amateur Championship yesterday may have been surprised about the name that eventually led the field. So is...

Byline: John Carter, Times-Union staff writer Information is empowering, but only if it reaches a source. So says Faye Johnson, special events coordinator for the Northeast Florida Healthy Start Coalition. That's why her organization is partnering...

Byline: Matthew I. Pinzur, Times-Union staff writer In an unexpected move during the last few hours of federal candidate qualification yesterday, Jacksonville trial lawyer Wayne Hogan opened a campaign to run for Congress. Hogan, a Democrat who...

Byline: Kristen Moczynski, Times-Union staff writer A scuffle between a Jacksonville resident and a home invader early yesterday morning escalated into gunfire, leaving the suspect with a bullet in the leg. Reginald Sanders, 31, was sleeping...

Homeowners Want Canal Dredging Project Isle of Palms Boats Often Silted in Now

Byline: Caren Burmeister, Shorelines staff writer A majority of Isle of Palms homeowners have signed petitions supporting a multi-million-dollar canal dredging project that would give their boats access to the Intracoastal Waterway, even at low...

Byline: Sarah Skidmore, Times-Union business writer Steps to save the finances of Shands Jacksonville continue. In addition to the city's pending funding for the hospital, Shands HealthCare will be making significant contributions. If things...

I-295-Blanding Traffic Focus of Plan Collins Road Could Get Interchange

Byline: R. Michael Anderson, County Line staff writer A plan to improve traffic flow and safety for motorists in the highly congested vicinity of Interstate 295, Blanding Boulevard and Collins Road drew applause from more than 100 people at a Florida...

It's human nature to become defensive when under criticism, but some U.S. State Department bureaucrats were over the top when they used "neo-Nazi" and "Joe McCarthy" to describe members of Congress questioning the wisdom of a controversial visa program....

Byline: R. Michael Anderson, County Line staff writer When public schools reopen Aug. 7, buses once again will be a common sight on Clay County streets and highways,including Kingsley Avenue in Orange Park, where road-paving crews have been working...

Byline: Laurie Cason, Times-Union staff writer The Jacksonville Lee Bulls 15-and-under basketball team didn't hit the mark they were shooting for at the AAU National Championships in Detroit last week. But coach David Jones keeps reminding his...

Byline: David DeCamp, Times-Union staff writer An increase in river traffic attracted to Jacksonville's 2005 Super Bowl will challenge organizers, but federal and environmental officials say it's still possible to keep the river safe for wildlife....

Byline: Dan Scanlan, Times-Union staff writer A 49-year-old Southside man was arrested Sunday on a charge of aggravated battery and warrants for assault, disorderly intoxication, improper exhibition of a weapon and making threats after police said...

Byline: Jim Saunders, Times-Union staff writer Democrat Bill McBride has staked his gubernatorial campaign on calling for improvements to Florida's public schools. So when McBride came to Jacksonville yesterday, he stopped at a community center...

Byline: Tonyaa Weathersbee, Times-Union columnist Give Larry Freeman credit for paying heed to his mother. Freeman, who is senior vice president of Baptist Health and administrator of Wolfson Children's Hospital, said he wound up in health care...

JACKSONVILLE BANCORP COMPLETES STOCK OFFER Jacksonville Bancorp has completed a secondary stock offering, raising $4.7 million in capital, the company said yesterday. The parent company of Jacksonville Bank said it sold 225,000 units at $21 apiece...

Byline: Beau Halton, Shorelines editor The sun was just beginning to rise over the Arabian Gulf on Nov. 18. The crew aboard a Mayport-based SH-60B Navy helicopter flew back to the destroyer USS Peterson after helping rescue survivors of a sinking...

Byline: Maggie FitzRoy, Shorelines staff writer When Nease High School's football team hosted Episcopal High School at the traditional spring game on May 23, the home fans and the visitors sat on the same side of the field. The visitors' stands...

Byline: Maggie FitzRoy, Times-Union staff writer When Nease High School's football team hosted Episcopal High School at the traditional spring game on May 23, the home fans and the visitors sat on the same side of the field. The visitors' stands...

Byline: Christopher F. Aguilar, Shorelines staff writer ********** CORRECTION July 27, 2002 Neptune Beach has been reducing its property tax rate through the past 10 years. Because of an editor's error, a story on Page 11 of the July 20 Beaches...

The neatest idea we saw in any magazine this month appeared in Parents July issue. Editors asked architect Alla Kazovskey, a partner at Kids StudioWorks, a Los Angeles-based firm, to plan an easy-to-build playhouse for inside or out. It's a simple...

Byline: Rich Tucker and Gene Frenette, Times-Union staff writers In a verdict with potential implications for professional sports, a Jacksonville jury yesterday awarded $5.35 million to former Jaguar Jeff Novak, finding that team doctor Stephen...

Officials Propose Alligator Hunting Large Population Prompts State Plan

Byline: Teresa Stepzinski, Times-Union staff writer Eyes and snout barely visible, the alligator eased with hardly a ripple through the milk chocolate-colored water of the Altamaha River twisting through the marsh near Broughton Island. The alligator...

Byline: Mike Clark, Times-Union Reader Advocate Dear Call Box: Please warn your readers. Someone called me and said to call a California phone number. Gullible me. I called it. They gave me a spiel about lost money or property. They gave a code...

Byline: R. Michael Anderson, County Line staff writer With temperatures in the mid-90s in North Florida, there is no question that summer is far from over. But that doesn't mean hunters cannot begin planning fall outings in the woods in search of...

Byline: Gene Frenette, Times-Union sports writer The National Football League Players Association and former teammates of Jeff Novak are hopeful that the $5.35 million judgment awarded yesterday to the former Jaguars offensive lineman in a malpractice...

Byline: Sandy Strickland, Times-Union staff writer A 34-year-old man was arrested on auto theft charges after leading police on a high-speed chase down Interstate 295 around midnight Sunday. The chase ended when the man crashed the 1990 bronze BMW...

Byline: Dan Scanlan, Times-Union staff writer A masked man robbed three employees at gunpoint Sunday at the Woody's barbecue restaurant at 9810 San Jose Blvd. Police said one of the three employees was working in the back room at 9:30 a.m. when...

Byline: John Carter, Times-Union staff writer Anger over a canceled trip to the mall resulted in a woman's arrest for battery. The 32-year-old woman was arrested at 3:50 p.m. Sunday in the 2900 block of Fitzgerald Street and charged with aggravated...

Following is a list of arrests and crimes reported by area police departments. ATLANTIC BEACH Police arrested a 71-year-old man at the Comfort Inn at 2401 Mayport Road after a housekeeper reported that he exposed himself to her in a lewd manner...

Byline: John Carter, Times-Union staff writer A 32-year-old man was arrested at 12:42 p.m. Wednesday at The Peoples First Community Bank, 14333-104 Beach Blvd., and charged with armed robbery with a deadly weapon. Witnesses said the suspect approached...

Property Tax Hike Said Likely Green Cove Increase Will Be First in 20 Years

Byline: Beth Reese Cravey, County Line staff writer Faced with increasing costs and decreasing revenues, the Green Cove Springs City Council is tentatively planning to increase its property tax rate for the first time in more than 20 years. The...

Byline: Teresa Stepzinski, Times-Union staff writer The growing population is the primary reason Georgia officials are considering an alligator hunting season in 2003. Implementing a hunting season will provide more opportunities to hunters,...

PUBLIC SAFETY Middleburg Triathlete Dies in Traffic Accident on U.S. 17

Byline: Beth Reese Cravey, County Line staff writer A Middleburg triathlete was killed Sunday when he was struck by a car while riding his bicycle on U.S. 17, authorities said. James T. Warmowski, 44, of Middleburg was riding south about 2 miles...

Byline: Dan Scanlan, Times-Union staff writer It wasn't easy being green. And so far, it doesn't look like the gray eggshell color the Duval County School Board is trying as Mandarin High School's latest color is going down easy, either. Green...

The battle is brewing. And it could be a doozy. Doctors and trial lawyers, two of the best-financed, best-organized lobbying groups in Florida, are gearing up for a political showdown over the escalating costs of medical malpractice insurance. ...

Sen. John McCain accused the World Boxing Council yesterday of interfering with the selection of judges for tonight's Vernon Forrest-Shane Mosley welterweight title fight in Indianapolis. McCain said the WBC threatened to pull its sanction of the...

Byline: Sandy Strickland, Times-Union staff writer Speeding, overpasses and mosquitoes were major concerns raised by Southeast Quadrant residents at a town meeting sponsored by the Council on Elder Affairs this week. About 60 people attended...

Byline: Emily Mosier, Shorelines correspondent Only one medal is missing from the matched set that Jacksonville Beach's Hurley Meeks is collecting from the International Powerlifting Federation World Masters Bench Press Championship. Hurley won...

Several area "orphans" have been busy starring in the Alhambra Dinner Theatre's production of Annie, which opened July 9. Full rehearsals began July 1, as the girls joined a professional adult cast to start moving through the paces of the hit Broadway...

Byline: Alison Trinidad, Nassau Neighbors staff writer Fernandina Beach city commissioners are asking Amelia River waterfront "stakeholders" for some help in planning the shore's future. The commission Tuesday created a 12-member committee to...

Byline: Lamar Thames, County Line editor I don't know about you, but all these accounting irregularities are making me nervous. It is like our whole society is being caught in a giant web of deceit. It doesn't bode well for our way of life when...

Byline: Garry Smits, Times-Union sports writer Tiger Woods is tied for ninth following the second round of the British Open. That may mean he's got the field right where he wants it. Woods followed his opening-round 70 with a 68 at the Muirfield...

Byline: Sandy Strickland, Times-Union staff writer Some Sandalwood-area residents fear their peaceful home life will be invaded by the unwelcome clamor of interstate traffic. And they are upset that sound barrier walls aren't being constructed to...

Byline: Sylvia Simmons, Shorelines columnist The dog days of summer are upon us and it is hot. Oh, yes, hot and also humid. It is the time of year most people hunker down in the air conditioning, and/or head north on vacation. My husband is one...

Unemployment, Inflation Pick Up June Jobless Rate at Highest Level in 8 Years

Byline: Mark Basch, Times-Union business writer Jacksonville's unemployment rate jumped to its highest level in eight years in June, as slowing job growth couldn't keep pace with an influx of new potential workers into the labor force. The unemployment...

You Can Go Home Again Nassau: Confederate POW's Remains Being Sent to Florida

Byline: Amelia A. Hart, Nassau Neighbors staff writer Nearly 140 years after he died in a Union prisoner of war camp in Massachusetts, Lt. Edward John Kent Johnston is coming home to Fernandina Beach. Johnston, believed to be the last Confederate...